


Two can play this game

by rainbow_teatime (peachymintyskies)



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-18
Updated: 2014-04-17
Packaged: 2018-01-12 22:45:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1203316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachymintyskies/pseuds/rainbow_teatime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nino's dreams of Sho are driving him wild. Hence, he decided to take action.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

_Ninomiya Kazunari rushed quickly down the dark corridors of the large mansion. His boss, Matsumoto Jun, had assigned him to infiltrate the mansion he was in to find a file binder that contained important government documents. He turned into a dark corner only to be surrounded by two armed guards pointing their automatic rifles at him. He smirked. With his quick reflexes he grabbed the barrels of the rifles and gave a strong twist of his arms, flipping the guards down hard on the ground and knocking them unconscious._  
  
 _He hurried down the hallways and entered the study. The wooden study desk glowed in the moonlight that shone in through the windows. He quickly made his way towards the study table, only to see the lights suddenly turn on and the owner of the mansion stepping out of the shadows, pointing a shotgun at him._  
  
 _"Wow... the famed Ninomiya Kazunari, I didn't think you'd stop by, " the man, Sakurai Sho, smiled menacingly as he advanced towards him._  
  
 _"I didn't think that you'd be around, Sakurai-san, but then again, I'm more than glad that we met," Nino replied, flashing his seductive grin and advancing confidently towards him. Jun did not tell him that the owner was THAT hot. Well-built figure, strong looking hands with long fingers (that he liked for many many reasons )..._  
  
 _"Nice try, Ninomiya-san, but I still have to kill you for invading my mansion, " Sho spoke while letting his fingers fall against the trigger, "I'm not letting you off just because your butt is cute."_  
  
  
 _Nino had stopped in front of him, holding his gaze with his smouldering gold-brown eyes. "You think so? " he challenged, putting his fingers on the shotgun and lowering it down. Sho stared straight into his eyes, finding himself lost in those mysterious golden-brown orbs._  
  
 _"Somehow, I knew you won't be able to pull that trigger. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to do the same," Nino spoke softly, his fingers reaching to tug at Sho's sleeve._  
  
 _"When we are lost in each other's eyes," Nino continued, "we lost sight of everything else." He then allowed his hands to grip Sho's boldly. Sho dropped his gun onto the floor, his hands sliding around Nino's face to hold him close. His gaze remained held at Nino's eyes. Nino grinned expectantly at him and pecked him lightly on the cheek._  
  
 _"Just between you and me, call me Nino, " he spoke. That was more than enough for Sho - Nino found himself pinned against the wall in an instant._  
  
 _"Nino..." Sakurai Sho whispered huskily as he lowered his plush lips on Nino's._  
  
 _Sho's hands wandered along his sides, caressing him so as to relax him. He tugged at Nino's bottom lip gently with his teeth before licking and sucking on it, soon drawing away from the younger man to let him breathe. Nino gulped as he stared up at Sho, who presently let his eyes wander down to the front of Nino's jeans, his lips pulling into a light smirk. He leaned in again, this time kissing his jaw and then trailing his lips down his neck, his hands wandering up Nino's shirt._  
  
 _"Aaahhh... Sho... " Nino moaned as he felt Sho's skilful hands brush across his bare chest._  
  
 _"Nino... " Sho whispered softly against his neck, kissing and nipping at his soft, flawless skin. Sho's warm breath tickled him lightly, making him inhale sharply._  
  
 _"Nino. " Sho's voice grew louder as his hands travelled down to unbutton his jeans. Nino let his head fall back against the wall,giving up on resisting his advances. He couldn't wait for him to rip his shirt off, tug his jeans down, and then..._  
  
 **"NINO! WAKE UP!** "

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
Nino jolted out of his dreams, his eyes flying open. He blushed involuntarily with his eyes wide open when he came face-to-face with Sho's amused face.  
"At long last, sleeping beauty. We are due for the '005 de Arashi' photoshoot now," Sho reminded. Nino nodded, dashing out of the green room ahead of the others.  
  
"Sakurai-sexy-as-hell-Sho will be the death of me," Nino thought as he neared the van that would take them to their photoshoot location.


	2. Challenge accepted

Nino tried not to hyperventilate as he watched Sho change out of his tank top into his tuxedo.  Somehow, it was as if the higher powers in the heavens were out to make a sport of him. It has been a widely known fact that Sakurai Sho looked extremely charming and sexy in a tank top. He would always remember how that Aibaka pulled down the front of Sho's tank top to expose quite a bit of his chest, earning screams from his fans and his insides. And the higher powers above just HAD to torture him even further by allowing him a glimpse of his perfect abs and chest muscles which were soon covered by his smart black and white tux. Complete with his ever perfect and smart-looking hair, he could definitely pull off as Japan's James Bond.

  
Nino leaned back down on the couch and closed his eyes. Mmmm. Sho in a James Bond movie.  Sho playing poker on the table like a true professional.  Sho watching his targets carefully as he tails them. Sho in a car chase, outrunning the bad guys who were trying to get to him.  Sho hopping from one building to another, his eyes focused and perfect hair flying. Sho fighting without his shirt... ah yes, those abs...

  
"Nino? "

  
Nino felt a light tap on his shoulder and had a second heart attack that day when he saw Sho's face close to his.

  
"Nino, it is your turn now," Sho stated ,holding out another tuxedo to Nino. Nino flushed and took the tuxedo, hurriedly heading towards the dressing mirror and started to change, trying not to look at Sho.

  
Just then, their leader, Ohno walked in.

  
"Nino! We are paired together! Let's go now!" he called. Nino nodded, taking off his shirt and wore his tuxedo before walking out quickly, giving their leader a playful smack on his butt.

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
Nino entered his apartment and threw himself down on the bed. He was exhausted beyond words- not only from the photoshoot they had, but also the fact that he had to avoid Sho in almost every instance they were in the same room. He was not sure when those weird dreams of having Sho kiss him senseless or start feeling his way down his jeans came- but he was sure of one thing- those dreams were driving him mad. It was partly because much as Nino would most definitely want to make those dreams come true, Sho was still his bandmate and hence any contact with him that was way beyond friendly hugs and pats on the back would be completely out of decorum. Another reason would be that the dreams had left him confused. Why exactly did he even want Sho so... well, desperately in the first place? While it was true that he shares a playful relationship of touching and groping each other with Ohno, he had never ever EVER dreamt of him so often or kissed him so passionately like in his dreams.

There was something about Sakurai Sho that drew him in like a moth to a flame,and it was driving him insane. And that was when he thought of a plan.

"Since the only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it... what if I drive him wild instead?" he thought with a smug grin on his face.


	3. Nino's first go

Nino strode towards the VS Arashi filming studio, proud and excited about his plan. He had reasoned that since Sho was the whole cause of his wildest dreams for the past few days, he decided to make him see that he, too, can drive his imaginations completely mad. Hence he had decided upon himself the ultimate goal of his entire mission- get Sho hot, bothered and completely receptive to his ministrations in his bed.

He entered the dressing room to see Sho lounging on a couch in the middle of the room, reading a newspaper.

  
"Game on," he thought, making his way smoothly towards Sho- he was definitely going to seduce him well enough in a matter of days.

  
"Good afternoon, Sho-kun!" Nino greeted as he sat down next to him, flashing his kittenish smile at him. Sho looked up in surprise and turned to see Nino beaming cutely at him.

  
"Ah, good afternoon~" Sho greeted and held down his newspapers, smiling back at him. Nino tried not to jump Sho right at that moment when he saw that he was not wearing any shirt beneath his black dressing robes.

  
"Erm," he said, trying not to stutter, "aren't our costumes coming some time now?" Nino asked.

  
"Nope. I'm here early because I wanted to tell you guys that the costumes arrival might be a little delayed. But it's alright- you have nothing else on later, right?" Sho asked.

  
Nino shook his head and stared ahead into blank space, a small frown on his face. What had happened?! Somehow,  his plan to seduce Sho had been completely thwarted and instead, he was the one being seduced instead! He shook his head. No, no, no- he was NOT about to lose.

  
"Mmm, maybe it's a good idea if I changed into my dressing robe now, ne?" Nino asked, already striding towards a clothes rack where his black dressing robe hung along with those of the other three members. He carried his dressing robe and walked back to Sho, who had resumed his reading.

  
"Anything on the news today?" He asked curiously, smirking inside as he started to unbutton his shirt.

  
Sho shrugged and flipped to the front page. "Nothing too interesting," he replied, running his eyes along the page, "unemployment rates are on the rise this year, and the government is considering promoting job and career fairs and reducing personal and corporate income taxes to help alleviate this problem."

  
"What else?" Nino questioned, tossing his shirt on the armrest of the couch and grabbed his dressing robe. Sho looked up briefly at him and flipped the newspaper to the next page. Nino frowned.

  
"Did he take the bait?! "he wondered.

  
"Oh! A young woman, Matsuda Michiyo has released a debut novel entitled 'Breaking the unification: Spore Minten'. It's said to be her debut novel which makes her one of Japan's youngest novelists. " Sho read the article aloud with great interest. A photo of the new novelist accompanied the article.

  
"Ahhhh...  she looks quite cute... " Sho remarked admiringly.

  
Nino pouted. So it seemed that he did not quite take the bait after all. Clothed in his robes, he sat down beside Sho and took the paper from him to read the article.

  
"No chance, Sho. She has an unnamed boyfriend who lives overseas, " he pointed out with a smirk.

  
"Ahhhh! Pity!! " Sho cried out jokingly. Nino chuckled at his antics.

  
"But it is admirable, ne?  To be able to come up with a solid, creative idea and put it into something tangible..." Nino commented.

  
Sho nodded in agreement. "On the other hand, though, something else more interesting has caught my eye, " he said, giving Nino a smirk that reduced him into a bundle of nerves and made his heart beat ten times faster. Sho's playful eyes caught his, holding his gaze as both of them fell into silence.

  
"Good morning everyone ~" a loud cheerful voice greeted the pair from the door.  Nino almost murdered Aiba Masaki for bursting in and breaking up the atmosphere.

  
"It's afternoon, isn't it?" Matsumoto Jun said, following Aiba into the room.

  
"Ah, ah right, sorry. I guess I'm still sleepy," Aiba said. Sho laughed and reached over to ruffle his hair.

  
"You sounded anything but tired, Aiba-chan, " he said.  Just then, their leader slowly stepped into the room,  rubbing his tired eyes.

  
"Ah, good morning.. " Ohno greeted. The other four members laughed.

  
"Now THIS is called being tired, Aiba-kun, "Nino commented, walking over to their leader and patting him on the head. Ohno grinned sheepishly and groped his butt in return.

  
"Oi. You two, just get a room now, will you?" Jun groaned as he was styling his hair in front of the dressing room mirror. Just then, one of their managers walked in.

  
"We're ready with the costumes. Do hurry and get dressed," he spoke before letting the costume staff through. Nino followed Ohno to get their outfits, while Sho remained on the couch, keeping a fond eye on Nino.

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
"Cheers~" The five men called as they clanked their beer glasses together.

  
"Aaaahhh nothing like good beer right before an off-day," Sho said.

  
"And good barbecued meat too," Aiba added between mouthfuls of food.

  
Nino could not agree more that it was a good night for all of them- especially when he was seated right beside Sho on his left. And of course, there was also the fact that all five of them were seated at a really high-class restaurant with long tablecloths that reach down to the floor. Nino wriggled his toes beneath the table, allowing his feet to warm up a little. Suddenly, he had an idea that could most possibly put his plans in motion. It was a little bold, but it was definitely worth the risk. He adjusted himself in his seat, edging himself marginally close to Sho.

  
"Nino? Are you okay?" Ohno asked from his egg soup.

  
"Oh, just fine. I'm just switching positions a little so I'll be more comfortable," Nino said, settling back down on the floor and stretching his legs out. He grinned down at his plate as he felt his right leg lightly brushing against Sho's left leg. He let it stay outstretched and resting lightly against Sho's leg while he reached down to the barbecue grill for some meat, quietly observing Sho's reaction. Sho did not seem too bothered by the contact of Nino's leg on his- he simply continued eating, grilling the meat and tasting Ohno's egg soup. It was as if the contact did not even manage to earn any reaction from him. Nino fumed inside as he flipped the ribeye steak on the hot grill over and gulped down a little beer. Soon, his heart sank a little when he felt Sho moving slowly away from him. What surprised him soon after was that Sho started to cross his legs, his left knee prodding against Nino's gently and his right sock-clothed toes tickling Nino's calf lightly. Nino ate his food, his mind in complete chaos.

  
"Was it a good reaction? Was it a bad reaction?! Or am I thinking too much and it was neither again?!" Nino wondered in his frenzied state of mind.

  
"Nino!" Sho called, catching Nino's dazed look.

  
Nino looked at him, completely off-guard. Sho chuckled softly.

  
"You are acting really weird these days. Are you really okay?" he asked, concerned leaning over to pat Nino on the head. Nino tried his hardest to ensure that his heart would not skip out of his chest.

  
"Yeah, I'm..fine. Completely fine," he replied.

  
"Not around you, though," he added in his head.

  
"Hmm, anyway, eat more, okay? I think you'll need more energy than I do," Sho said, picking up pieces of cooked beef and pork and placed them on Nino's plate.

  
"Oii... Sho-chan! I'm jealous! Why are you taking such good care of Nino, huh?" Aiba whined.

  
"Because he is right next to me and you are diagonally opposite me?" Sho suggested helpfully as he ate his barbecued sirloin-cut steak.

  
"Mou, Jun-kun! Sho-chan is being unfair, no? You are opposite him and he isn't taking stuff for you!" Aiba continued, poking Jun on his arm.

  
"Because Nino is indeed acting strange these days while I'm perfectly normal? Plus, I'm capable of cooking stuff and adding it to my own plate.We all know how Sho-kun is like when he cooks," Jun replied, stifling a giggle. Sho gave Jun a mock-glare and kicked him playfully underneath the table, shaking it slightly.

  
"Oi! Oi! Don't kick the food upon us! It'll be a waste of money!" Jun protested jokingly as he steadied the table and continued cooking the meat. Ohno, in the meantime, had finally finished his soup and leaned back against the wall, gulping down his beer.

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
"Come, Leeeeeader~ let us go home~ " Aiba sang as he strolled out with the group, leaning down on a helpless Nino. Somehow, Nino and Jun had silently agreed to let the three older men drink to their heart's content and held back on their alcohol intake for the night.

  
"Oi, Aiba-chan! You're really drunk, aren't you?" Nino complained with a light sigh, then turned to the others, "who is sober enough to get him a cab home for the night?"

  
"I'm fine with it," Jun spoke, "but what about the other idiot?" he asked, pointing at Ohno who had leaned on the wall of the restaurant, falling asleep while standing.

  
"Mmm, but my house is really small," Nino said. Jun winced at the memory of tripping over Nino's numerous wires from his gaming consoles and music equipment.

  
"Okay, I'll take both of them to my house for their own safety. Take care of Sho-kun, ne?" Jun said, helping up his leader. The two relatively sober men helped up the other three drunk ones, supporting them while waiting for taxis to take them home.

  
"Goodnight, Jun!" Nino said as the taxi sped off. He was left alone with Sho hanging off his right arm.

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
"Sho, I need you to stay a little awake so we can walk," Nino spoke with a steady voice as he helped Sho into his own apartment.

  
"Ahhh~ Your house feels nice, Nino~" Sho broke out into a goofy grin as he stumbled into the living room. Nino's eyes widened in shock and he rushed to Sho's aid, guiding him away from the treacherous wires that nearly tripped him up.

  
"Oi. Sho. Be careful," he said as he sat Sho to lie down on the couch. Sho looked up at him with sleepy eyes.

  
"Nino really takes care of people ne~" Sho spoke softly. Nino averted his eyes away, trying to hide the blush that had crept up on his face.

  
"N-n-not really," Nino replied. Sho giggled and reached his hand up to pat Nino gently on the cheek.

  
"Nino.." Sho called. Nino looked back into Sho's eyes.

  
"There are many times, many many many times.. when I wonder how.." Sho spoke, his words trailing off in bits of an incomplete sentence, "how it might be like, if..."

  
Nino's ears perked up at Sho's speech.

  
"If..?" he asked.

  
"If..if we..." Sho continued, his eyes fluttering open, as if trying to stay awake.

  
"If we?" Nino prompted patiently, his heart doing the complete opposite and pounding so hard that he almost burst at the tension that the air held above them.

There was no reply after that. A silent pause was followed by gentle, soft snoring.

Nino could not help but laugh lightly at himself and Sho. When Sho held his sentence in mid-air, he could have sworn that he was about to hear a confession from him. He then looked at Sho, watching his muscular chest rise and fall in time with his breathing. His eyes lay shut, his plush lips drawn into a light, carefree smile. Right there, on the couch, the fluorescent lighting above them just gave off the right hues that made Sho appear like a sleeping angel.

  
But he could not possibly let him be on the uncomfortable couch.

  
He decided to disturb him for a short moment and moved him to his bed, which was more comfortable. He changed out of his clothes and took a quick shower, striding out in his pajamas. Switching off the lights, he moved Sho to one end of the bed.

  
He paused.

  
How many times had he dreamed that this would happen? Sho in his bed, completely helpless, at his submission... Sho was drunk too, and he would be even more so from all the different pleasures that Nino could offer him right there and then. They would not know what they were doing, but only be conscious of the waves of excitement and satisfaction that would flood their senses...He looked away and breathed deeply.

  
He could not do it.

Just as much as he wanted to, he just could not bring himself to.

  
He wanted Sho receptive. Sober and yet needy. With that resolve, he proceeded to move away, when he felt his arm being grabbed by Sho.

  
"Nino... Nino..." Sho moaned in his sleep. Nino looked at him in slight surprise. "Is he awake? Wasn't he drunk? What is he about to do?" his mind questioned.

  
"Nino... don't finish all the hamburgers, leave some for me..." Sho mumbled in his sleep and flipped over to face him. His grip grew loose and his arm fell back down on the bed. Nino tried in vain to stifle his chuckles and giggles as he leaned down and pressed his lips lightly but affectionately on Sho's forehead.

  
"Goodnight, Sho," he whispered as he shifted away from him and lay on the opposite side of the bed. As he closed his eyes with a light smile , he decided that for that particular round, Sho won- simply because of his adorable antics and his cute sleep-talking. He tossed and flipped from one side to another, finally finding the comfort he needed when he felt Sho's bare feet with his own and left them be for the rest of the night.

  
Sho - 1, Nino - 0


	4. More than just dreams?

Nino stirred in his sleep and flipped around, nuzzling happily into the warmth that his blanket provided him. He sighed happily as he snuggled in blissfully. It was comfy and cuddly. He could stay in bed like that forever just like that....

That was what he thought until he felt something slide slowly along his waist.

His eyes fluttered open and he froze in shock. The warmth was not from the blanket, but from Sakurai cute-as-hell Sho, whose dreamy face lay just above his own, and hence leaving Nino to be nuzzling into his neck. Nino blushed, his eyes gazing down and noted, with a mix of delight and slight chagrin, Sho's bare muscular chest. He tried to keep his eyes away from the well-built body and looked towards his waist. It was Sho's hand that had slid down his waist. What a thing to behold in the morning- him being near-embraced in bed by his sexy eye-candy-and-bandmate. While his body stayed tense, he slowly took Sho's hand and lifted it off his waist before edging slowly away from the sleeping man. Once he was out of Sho's reach he rolled quickly over to the other side of the bed, his red face now putting the tomatoes in the fridge to shame.

The upper powers above must be making fun of him.

"How did that happen?!" he questioned in his head, flustered by how close they had been, "if I recall correctly, he was still wearing his shirt when I tucked him in bed.. So how..?" he wondered as he looked confusedly at the half-naked Sho. Sho rolled over on his back, giving a light stretch before flipping his body to face himself away from Nino. Nino gave a light sigh and returned to his thoughts. What was he going to do- he stopped in his thoughts- he had an idea. Grinning mischievously, he stripped his shirt off, shuddering lightly at the chilly morning air. He then edged himself closer towards Sho and snuggled up against his back, relishing the feel of his bare back upon his. He was taking so many risks and trying his best not to jump him, but he knew that this tactic might be worth it.

"I shall let his imagination run wild with this, ne..." Nino grinned and closed his eyes. True to what he predicted, it did not take long before Sho flipped back with an outstretched arm, his right hand finding Nino's now-bare waist once again. Nino grinned deep down inside as he turned over and gave a light, kittenish smile with his eyes closed. Soon, with his eyes closed, he could hear Sho's sharp intake of breath and knew that he was already awake. He felt Sho's strong arm slide down again (much to his disappointment) and the bed move as Sho sat up and leaned against the headboard, his mind plunging into deep thought.

Nino gave a yawn and a light stretch as he fluttered his eyes open to see Sho pulling his shirt on. "Ah, good morning, Sho-kun," Nino greeted sleepily. "Good morning, Nino. I'm sorry I slept in your bed last night," Sho apologised, his face flushing lightly in embarrassment. "Oh no, it's okay. I don't really mind," Nino assured as he started to put on his shirt and make the bed. "I mean, if you do pull off your shirt in your sleep from time to time, I really really really don't mind..." he thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Oh, okay. Thanks, Jun-kun. Bye~" Sho hung up the call on his mobile phone and strode over to the kitchen where Nino was preparing breakfast. Sho had offered to help but he did not want to risk him burning down the kitchen.

"Nino-kun? Apparently Ma-chan and Ohno-kun have woken up and they have gone back," Sho informed.

"Oh," Nino replied," but Leader was funny yesterday though- he can practically sleep while standing!" Sho laughed, as he picked up the day's newspapers from the doorstep.

"Well then, it's our off-day today. What shall we do?" Nino prompted as he started boiling hot water for some instant ramen.

"Mmm, I had wanted to go out today to this really famous bookstore..." Sho spoke as he looked up from his newspapers and gazed into space, trying to recall the plans he had made.

"Oh, sounds good! I shall accompany you then!" Nino suggested. Sho chuckled. "But don't you have any plans today as well? Like... Mario?" Sho asked, gesturing to the Nintendo Wii console that lay in front of Nino's high-definition television screen.

"Yes, but there's a hamburger shop that I had planned to visit today," Nino replied smoothly as he stirred the instant ramen, soon turning to call out , "do you want eggs in your ramen?"

"Yes please~~" Sho called back, making Nino chuckle lightly at his cute tone of voice.

"Honestly though," Sho spoke as he walked towards the doorway of the kitchen, "you sure you want to accompany me?"

Nino grinned and turned to him, "Why not?" Sho smiled and gave a light nod as he returned to his seat.

"How else will I have opportunities to seduce?" he added silently to himself as he prepared eggs for their noodles.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sho pulled the car over at the bookshop and stepped out. Nino followed closely behind. When they stepped inside, Nino was stunned. To call it a bookshop would be an understatement- the entire place was like a huge library, with bright chandeliers and long rows of tall bookshelves filled with books. Nino could smell the pleasantly mellow scent of old books.

"Ne, Sho-kun, are you sure this is a bookshop and not a library?" Nino asked as he gazed in wonder at the tall bookshelves that towered over them.

"Oh, it is a bookshop alright. But it looks really stylish, doesn't it?" Sho replied. "To call it stylish is.. quite the understatement," Nino commented as he passed by thick volumes of books that grandly stood in their shelves. "This bookshop is famous for selling older editions of famous classics today," Sho explained as he glanced around the different sections, "there are, of course, more modern copies of other books."

Nino nodded as he followed Sho, noticing something different in his eyes- it was much more livelier than usual. Somehow, when in the presence of books, he seemed to have a sparkle in his eyes that is different from the times when he was on set. This is a new side of Sho that he had seen. He smiled softly to himself, somewhat glad that he got to see a side to him that no one else knows.

He paused in his thoughts, shaking his head. "What am I doing? I'm supposed to be seducing him! If this continues on, I'll be..." Nino thought fiercely to himself and looked around, wondering how he could use the place to his advantage. Then, he had another brainwave. "I like this place," Nino remarked as he leaned against one of the shelves.

"You do? I did not think you would like it, because you're more of a gamer.." Sho replied as he pulled out one of the books on the shelf, looking at it in great interest.

"Well, I like variety from time to time," Nino said as he gazed vacantly at the bookshelf opposite him. Sho looked up at him curiously. "I mean, this place is nice. The ambience, the soft lights in the dimly lit place..." he drawled on, "the tall bookcases that keep a wandering reader in his aisle of blissful solitude..." Nino then looked up nonchalantly at the spotlight somewhere above him, which shed some faint light on his collarbones. He was smirking deep down inside as he felt Sho's eyes on him.

"Oh, this is most definitely working," Nino thought as he reached out to take a book and look at it in interest.

"Ahh... Okay, I shall buy this book then!" Sho exclaimed, his face showing a light amount of satisfaction as he hurried off to purchase it. Nino frowned lightly, but knew that his tactic worked when he caught sight of Sho's red-tipped ears beneath the dim lights. It was an amusing yet adorable sight. "I wonder if this is going to be based on more than just those dreams," he thought as he followed Sho out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They stopped over at Nino's favourite hamburger joint, deciding to share a large hamburger set meal. The waiter wheeled it in, carrying it carefully on a tray before placing it before the two men. He lifted the cover and Nino's eyes glinted as he saw the huge hamburger in front of him and Sho.

"Ah, I guess I might not have enough later, ne..." Sho teased with a mock pout. Nino mentally groaned at why Sho had such kissable lips.

"Well you might if you don't hurry up, itadakimasu~" Nino said and began to carve out a large portion on his side.

"Oi! Oi! Wait for me!" Sho protested and started cutting out his portion as well before stuffing some smaller portions into his mouth.

"Mmmmm! This is really good!"

"I know, right?! I've always wanted to try out this set meal, but I had been a little worried that I would not be able to finish," Nino spoke as he busied himself with his food.

"Ah, no wonder you tagged along, ne," Sho replied. Nino's ears perked up as he detected a very minute hint of disappointment in his replied.

"Partially," Nino said, purposefully stretching his legs and positioning them such that they interlock loosely with each other,with his own brushing against Sho's lightly, "but it's also because I like a change in environment too."

Sho nodded as he continued eating, only to realise that Nino had finished his half of the hamburger. "Whoa! You're fast!" Sho exclaimed.

"When it comes to hamburgers, it's a different matter," Nino replied in his usual bratty manner, "now.. which part of your half shall I take.."

"No! Don't even think about it, Nino!" Sho threatened, his knife and fork positioning themselves protectively over the hamburger.

Nino grinned. "Itadakimasu~" he called and started carving out a little of Sho's half-hamburger.

"Oi! Nino! Don't finish it like the last time and leave some for me!" Sho groaned.

Nino paused and stared up at him curiously.

"The last time..? Did I ever take you out for hamburgers before?" Nino questioned.

Sho froze in slight shock before facepalming himself. Nino narrowed his eyes at him as Sho started mumbling something about a 'dream' and 'different'.

"N-nothing. You're right, it's a slip of the tongue," Sho admitted, "and you're still not having my hamburger!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Ah~ That was filling~" Nino said as they returned to his home.

"Indeed so~" Sho replied as they slumped down on the couch in the living room.

"Well, up for some Mario? You did owe me for making me accompany you to the bookstore," Nino stated as he set up the Wii console.

"Oi, you were the one who said you wanted to tag along!" Sho protested, "though I really don't mind playing.." he added.

"See? Then it's alright, isn't it?" Nino prepped, giving him one of his widest grins, "Ah, there we go. I'm Mario and you're Luigi, ne~"

The two men started playing, pressing the buttons of their controllers and controlling their characters on-screen. While being absorbed in the game, Nino noted from the corner of his eye that Sho was getting increasingly relaxed. Sighing casually, he slipped down from the couch and rested on the floor. Sho looked at him and chuckled.

"Couch is uncomfortable?" Sho asked.

"No, I just like playing on the floor with my back against it," Nino said, his eyes not leaving the screen.

Finally, they had conquered a long level and they hi-fived in victory. Nino relaxed a little against the couch, realising that Sho's leg was right beside him. As the next level started, he casually brushed his shoulder softly against Sho's leg, his eyes never leaving his character. The pair stayed like that for the rest of the day till it was in the late afternoon. By then, Nino's head had laid softly against the side of Sho's lap. Sho gave a smile from time to time, patting Nino softly on the head.

"Ne, Nino, maybe I should go back already," Sho said as they conquered yet another boss battle. It was about 7pm.

"Hmm? You don't want to stay for dinner?" Nino questioned.

"Ahh, but I have already troubled you enough last night," Sho said, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"It's okay! Come on now," Nino cajoled, slinging an arm over his shoulder, "we're bandmates, ne? Don't stand on the ceremony~"

"It's okay. We have work tomorrow, so we should rest early, ne?" Sho said as he started to ready his bag.

"Ahh... you're right, but dinner..?" Nino asked. "Oh, I'm eating out again. Thanks for accompanying me, Nino-kun!" Sho said, beaming fondly at him.

"Any time," Nino chirped, admiring the Sho's back as he turned to walk towards his car. His shoulders might be sloping, but somehow.. that just added to his charm.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That night, he laid down on his bed, contemplating the day's events. He had pulled quite a number of tricks that day: shedding his shirt in bed, attempted seduction in the quiet bookshop, brushing of legs in the hamburger joint, and then leaning his head on Sho's lap. He gazed up at the ceiling, pondering. He soon flipped sideways and decided it'll be two points for him- one because of Sho's reddening ears in the bookshop and another for Sho not moving away from his head by the couch. "But really, what did he mean by 'the last time'?" he wondered. And then it hit him-

 

_**"Nino... don't finish all the hamburgers, leave some for me..."** _

 

He remembered- Sho had dreamt of him last night! And to think he still remembered it that afternoon. Nino laughed to himself and slept, deciding to add yet another point to himself.

 

Sho - 1 , Nino - 3


	5. Clearing the fog

_"Oi, Sho..." Nino protested weakly at Sho pinned him against the tall bookshelves of that grand bookstore, careful not to make too much noise._

_"Shhh... Nino, this is a public place. Don't be so noisy," Sho mock-scolded as he trailed his hands from Nino's knees up his thigh at a slow, lazy pace. Nino's thoughts, on the contrary, were far from lazy._

  
_"Sho... you're making it really hard to be quiet..." Nino whispered between short breaths. Sho grinned daringly at him and brushed his hand nonchalantly across the front of his pants. Nino inhaled sharply._   


  
_"I think that is the point of all this.. Kazu," Sho whispered back, cradling Nino's head in his hands before pulling him close for a hot, passionate kiss. Nino moaned softly as his lips moved against Sho's, the heat and passion of their kiss warming their bodies up in the cold, air-conditioned bookstore._   


  
_"Ahh.. Sho-oh.. We should go.. soon.." Nino whispered and whimpered quietly as Sho pressed their foreheads together._   


  
_"All in good time, Nino.." Sho's voice came into his ears, low and husky, "all in good time..." He then proceeded to kiss his way down from Nino's forehead to the bridge of his nose and then his lips. He trailed down slowly, oh-so-teasingly down to his neck and shirt..._   


\

Nino awoke, his forehead damp in sweat. He looked down to find his pants shifted slightly down from his hips, an obvious tent poking out. Nino groaned in annoyance (and slight arousal) and shuffled off to the bathroom to take care of a certain growing problem.

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
"Oh? An outdoor barbecue for our next break?! Sounds nice, doesn't it?!" Sho exclaimed excitedly. The five of them had decided

  
"And it's by the beach too! Sho-chan Sho-chan, we can relive our barbecued shellfish moments~" Aiba cheered as he gave Sho a friendly hug.

  
"Haha yes, those 'first time's, ne?" Sho agreed and continued reading the newspapers.

  
Nino, on the other hand, felt his stomach sink. More than anything...

  
he detested the sea. He got seasick very easily. Ohno, sensing that he might be a little worried, patted him softly on the back.

  
"It's okay. Just stay on shore and it should be fine," he said.

  
"What are you talking about, leader? We have booked a speedboat for that day already! If all five of us stay onshore, it'd be a waste, no?" Jun informed.

  
"But Nino gets seasick," Ohno explained.

  
"No it's fine. I think I can get some pills to curb it," Nino said, looking back down at his DS.

  
He was most definitely not going to like the outing, and he was quite sure about that.

  
Sho, in the meantime, looked over at Nino's form, a worried look crossing his eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
That night, for the umpteenth time, Nino could not sleep. A few months of hectic work had passed since Sho had slept over at Nino's house. Nino smiled at the memory of accompanying Sho to that grand-looking bookstore and the rather satisfying hamburger meal.

But things had seemed to come to a stand-still between Sho and himself. It was almost as if Sho had thought nothing much of his intentions at all. Desperate to salvage the situation, he decided to call Aiba.

  
"Aiba-kun! It's me,"

  
"Nino? Why are you calling at... 2 a.m. in the morning?" Aiba questioned sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

  
"Ne, Aiba-kun. I require your assistance with something," Nino spoke urgently.

  
"Mmmm.. And what would that be?" Aiba asked.

  
"How do you guys keep yourselves from getting seasick?" Nino asked nervously. Aiba chuckled at his question.

  
"Ahhh you must be afraid for tomorrow, ne?" Aiba grinned as he replied, "Don't worry, you don't have to force yourself to go speedboating if you are really uncomfortable."

  
"I know, but Sho will be-" Nino covered his mouth and stopped himself. He had nearly slipped out his plan. He prayed that Aiba was too sleepy to hear what he had said.

  
"You know Sho will be what, Nino?" Aiba questioned. Nino could detect a slight hint of mischief in his voice.

Darn. It seemed that Aiba heard it after all.

  
"If this gets out among the other members, I swear I'll kill you," Nino threatened.

  
"Haaa~i~ So, what is it that you'll REALLY need my help with?" Aiba asked cheekily.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Oh no. Maybe this isn't such a good idea. I'm going back," Nino spoke hurriedly and turned back, only to be stopped by Aiba.

  
"Mou, Nino! You did say you'll give it a try! Remember, just focus far ahead into the horizon and not on the waters! You should be okay!" Aiba whined.

  
"If I throw up, I swear, I'm blaming it on you." Nino growled brattily as he strode with the group, with the other three members chatting happily and excitedly in front of them. Jun and Ohno were poking each other in the ribs while Sho looked on with a wide grin on his face.

  
Nino's eyes focused on Sho, watching the way his brown eyes look around the beach excitedly and the way his mouth pulled into a cute laugh, his lips parting to reveal his perfect teeth...

  
"You really like him, don't you?" Aiba asked. Nino turned red in the face instantaneously.

  
"Not here, Aibaka!" Nino protested while trying to hide his tomato face, "And I don't like him, well, you know, in THAT way. It's just a small infatuation, that's all!"

  
"Yeah," Aiba smirked knowingly, "small infatuation, huh.."

  
"It is exactly as I told you yesterday! It was those dreams that have been driving me nuts!"Nino spoke.

  
"What dreams have driven you crazy, Nino?"

A voice from in front of them asked. Nino turned to see Sho walking back towards them with a small, carefree smile on his face.

Nino felt anything but carefree at that moment. His mind was thrown into a frenzy at the thought that Sho might have heard them.

  
"... Pangolins!"

Nino and Sho looked at Aiba, eyebrows raised in question.

  
"Nino has been complaining to me that he had been dreaming of the weirdest things he had never been interested in, like pangolins, mammoths, saber-tooth tigers..." Aiba replied, giving Nino a subtle signal by flicking his eyes.

  
"Right! Right!" Nino continued, feeling rather relieved that Aiba could think quick on his feet.

  
"Ahh, because Nino-kun has no interest in animals, let alone the prehistoric ones, ne~" Sho commented understandingly.

Nino nodded, his blush rapidly fading a little.

  
"Oi~ Sho-kun, Nino-kun, Aiba-kun~" Jun called from the speedboat by the coastline.

  
"Oh! They're there! Come, let's go!" Sho spoke excitedly and dashed forward while grabbing Aiba's and Nino's arms.

  
"I'm not going to survive this," Nino thought glumly. For one, he could possibly throw up by the sea. And next.. he could not be sure that he could even attempt to seduce Sho without being seduced by him first.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
"WOOOOOOOW~ THIS IS GREAT~" Four men shouted with glee as the boat sped off atop the sea water, the wind blowing into their faces. The last one of them was sprawled on the seats of the boat, lying down and holding on to the seat for dear life.

  
"Whooooaaa~ Look at those boats!" Jun exclaimed, waving to them.

Aiba waved along with him, pausing to look at Nino, concerned. Aiba was about to step towards the resting Nino when an arm stopped him.

  
"I'll check on him," Sho spoke as he strode towards Nino, watching him worriedly. Aiba observed Sho with a warm smile and turned back to look at the sea.

  
"Baka Nino, why do you have to be so worried?" Aiba thought, shaking his head.

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
"Oi... oi... Nino..." Sho spoke low, prodding gently at the man who rested on the seats. Nino opened a reluctant eye and saw Sho looking down at him with a concerned look on his face.

  
"Mmm.. Oh, I'm fine," Nino replied, trying to sit up. Sho allowed him to straighten up, taking a place beside him and then pulling Nino gently back down into his lap. Nino backed away quickly.

  
"Ah, you don't have to-"

  
"Sleep! I will not have you puking on the boat or overboard!" Sho ordered. Nino stared at him, slightly stunned. Sho sighed and pulled him back down on his lap.

  
"Just sleep, idiot. Fancy you coming on the speedboat with us while you're seasick..." Sho chided softly as he parted Nino's hair and smoothed his side-fringes gently. Nino relaxed on Sho's lap, feeling his fingertips skip on and around his face. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, relishing the warmth of Sho's body around him.

Suddenly, he did not feel so sick anymore.

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Bar~be~cue~" Aiba cheered as they returned back on shore. Jun and Ohno rushed along with him excitedly towards their van to take out stuff for their dinner. Nino, however, bent over the ground. He felt a little nauseous- happens whenever the boat ride got too rough for him or when he alights from it. A hand patted him softly and reassuringly on the back.

  
"There now, take it easy," Sho said.

  
"I'm fine, it always happens," Nino assured as he straightened up, slightly grateful that he did not vomit like he thought he would.

However, considering that he had barely survived the afternoon on the speedboat, he decided that nothing could ever make him get on another boat again.

  
"Come on now, the other guys are waiting," Sho said, taking his arm and dragging him back to the other three.

  
"Oii~ Is Nino okay?" Aiba asked.

  
"Yep, he's just fine!" Sho replied.

  
"Aw, no. I had wanted his share of the barbecued chicken wings.." Jun mock-pouted.

  
"Oi! Don't even think about it!" Nino scolded, snatching out some chicken wings and cooking them over the grill. Ohno laughed and patted Nino's head affectionately and proceeded to help him cook.

  
The sun set in the horizon, casting a soft, orange light across the sea. The sky was slightly darkened into dark shades of purple, with some small orange streaks across it.

  
"Ah, it really feels different eating these outdoor, ne?" Jun commented.

  
"Yup! But Leader," Aiba turned to Ohno as he was eating a chicken wing, "what were you doing out there by the waters just now?"

Ohno blinked and took out a huge styrofoam box. Nino patted Aiba on the shoulder, smirking lightly at their leader.

  
"Somehow, I'm not surprised that there's a fish in there."

  
"Ehhh? But I didn't see you bring your fishing equipment!" Sho exclaimed, then narrowed his eyes, "unless that fishing rod is foldable..."

  
"... and he packed the baits in a smaller container." Nino finished.

Ohno grinned sheepishly and held out the fish from the box. "Shall we cook this then?"

  
"Oh, I'll help!" Jun spoke eagerly as he helped to prepare the fish.

  
"Okay, okay, I'll help too. Wouldn't want the Jun-kun to cut his precious fingers, ne?" Aiba spoke, giving Nino a playful wink. Nino grinned and sat down beside Sho.

  
"Nice sunset, isn't it?" Nino asked as he stared out into the distance, a can of beer in hand.

  
"Indeed so," Sho replied, sipping on his beer while staring into the distance, enjoying the feel of the warm glow of the setting sun upon his face. Nino stared into the distance, glancing sideways from time to time at Sho, watching the fast-fading sun rays cast their light upon his face.

  
"It's been a long while since we last sat like this, right?" Sho asked.

Nino was mildly shocked. "We watched the sunset before?!"he panicked in his thoughts. Suddenly, he remembered.

  
"Ah, right," he tried to sound normal, "Yamada Tarou Monogatari, right?"

Sho gave a soft laugh. "I'm surprised you actually remembered."

  
"Yeah, I'm surprised myself. It must have been about 7 years since we last filmed it!" Nino replied as he chuckled along with him.

  
"Those were the days huh," Sho said thoughtfully, crossing his right leg over to his left, letting his right slipper hang loose from his foot. Nino stretched out his feet as he watched the sun go down, letting his legs brush against Sho's lightly. Suddenly, he felt a heavy weight on his right shoulder. He turned to see that Sho had rested his head lightly on his shoulder.

  
"Gomen, let me sleep for a short while before we eat Leader's fish. I'm really tired these days," Sho whispered. Nino nodded understandingly and let his right arm wound around Sho's back, supporting him as he slept. Soon, he started to lean on Sho's head, trying his best to enjoy the warmth that their bodies provided them.

  
When he had those complicating feelings, he had no idea. Heck, he did not know what to call them. Sometimes, it felt like infatuation, especially when those racy, frisky dreams caught him offguard in his sleep. And yet.. sometimes, in moments like this... it felt like more than just that. It felt like there was more to Sho than his undeniably irresistable figure and attractive, intelligent personality that drew him like a moth to a flame. Was it simply the way that he looks at the simplest things with a smile? Or was it the way that he tries his best in whatever he does? Or was it the way that Sho was always looking out for him and his other band members? The way he smiles? The way he laughs? The way he tosses his hair when his fringes fall over his handsome face?

  
He stopped his train of thoughts.

  
"Why am I thinking about all these?!" he wondered, thumping his free arm on the side of his forehead. Sho stirred slightly, burying his head into the crook of Nino's neck. Nino looked at him, watching his eyes stay closed. Sho looked so restful, simply lying on his shoulder.

  
He wanted to see that carefree smile for a long time.

  
It wasn't long before the pair were called back to the barbecue pit, where a huge plate of barbecued fish lay.

They had boarded their van, allowing the driver to take them back to their homes and themselves to rest. Nino laid his head back against the seat, looking beside him to find Ohno sleeping with his mouth wide open, and Sho sleeping with the same expression earlier.

  
He looked out of the window into the night sky, where small, tiny stars had started to peek out.

  
"I guess, without a doubt," he thought as he rested his blushing cheek against the cold glass window that lacked the warmth of Sho's head,

  
**"I'm in love with him."**   



	6. Strategise

_Nino's eyes concentrated hard on the TV, the electronic sounds of his game filling the living room. He exclaimed to himself in surprise as Mario barely made it past a huge gap in the ground. Finally, Mario hopped up the familiar flight of steps and leapt off into the air, landing on top of the flagpole._

_"Yosh!" Nino cheered as the victory jingle played. Just then, two strong arms pulled him back against an all-too-familiar warmth._

_"Good job, Nino," Sho whispered in his ear, nuzzling his nose into the back of his neck."_

_Nino smiled and leaned back as Sho made himself comfortable behind him on the sofa, making Nino sit on his lap._

_"Ne, I'm hungry..." Sho complained as his stomach rumbled behind Nino. Nino laughed._

_"Shall we go out and eat then?" Nino suggested, placing the controller down on the table. Sho then shifted and started to recline on the sofa horizontally. Nino scooted closer to Sho's foot, poking it playfuly._

_"Hmm, sure. What shall it be? Ramen?" Sho asked, flexing his foot playfully to evade Nino's prodding fingers._

_"Sounds great," Nino agreed. He was about to get up and prepare to go out when Sho tugged him back down on the sofa, pulling his upper body close to his own._

_"Before that..." Sho whispered as he hugged Nino from behind and moved him so that Nino was straddling him from above. Nino smirked._

_"Now? Before dinner?" Nino questioned, amused. Sho chuckled and pulled him down for a gentle kiss and then hugged him._

_"No," he replied softly, "just felt like cuddling."_

_Nino smiled and buried his face into the crook of Sho's neck as they stayed there on the sofa for a while, their bare feet resting comfortably against each other._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Nino stretched lazily in his bed, his mind blissfully hazy from the dream he just had of Sho. It was not racy and frisky like those he used to have. Rather, it was sweet and warm. He could almost feel Sho's arms wrapped around his body. He smiled at the memory.. and paused.

He had forgotten to count the scores.

"Ahhh... let's see," he mumbled, scratching his head tiredly, "on the boat, I..."

He remembered he did nothing more than clinging on to the seats for dear life. Goodness knows what would have happened if Sho did not take care of him.

Sho- 2 Nino- 3.

And then there was the barbecue. While he was the one who started the conversation... Nino's mind wandered off to remembering the feel of Sho's head on his right shoulder, his soft hair tickling his neck lightly. He smiled to himself as he decided to award another point to Sho for making him blush at the memory.

Sho- 3, Nino- 3.

Nino took a deep breath. They both tied.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Eh? You'll be going off to Sochi for the Winter Olympics? Next month? " the four members exclaimed in surprise.

"Yep! I'm going to be the newscaster there, so it's going to be really busy!" Sho confirmed excitedly.

"Ahh, but that will be you'll be away for quite some time, ne..." Aiba said, his eyes glancing fleetingly at Nino.

"Yeah, but it won't be too long. Awww, you're going to miss me, aren't you, Aiba-kun~" Sho teased, patting Aiba on the head.

"Oi, it's not just him, you know!" Jun said, poking Sho's shoulder. Nino could only smile gently as the three members poked fun at Sho. As always, he mentally added.

He felt a comforting arm slide around his shoulder.  
"You're going to miss him a lot more, aren't you? " Ohno asked.

Nino snorted and turned away huffly, but Ohno could catch a slight blush and a tiny smile on Nino's face. Ohno gave Sho a short glance before grinning widely at Nino.

"You have nothing else after this, right?" he asked.  
Nino looked back at him, surprised. "Well, no... but why d-"

"Let's go for a drink, alright? You look like you could use one." Ohno said, poking Nino fondly on the cheek. Nino scrunched up his nose in mock annoyance and nodded.

"Ne ne, Leader! Can I come along~?" Aiba chimed in, only to be stopped by Nino.

"Oi. Don't ruin our Ohmiya SK moments, Aiba-chan," Nino replied brattily.

"Aaahh so mean! Sho-chan, Nino is bullying me and he is not letting me come along!" Aiba whined, tugging at Sho's sleeve.

"It's okay, We should leave Taka and Yuuji alone or they may never return on the concert stage again," Sho spoke, patting a pouting Aiba on the head.

"You guys, seriously.." Jun spoke up, shaking his head as he headed towards the door of the green room, "I'm buying us some drinks. You guys want anything?"

"Oh, I'm coming along with you, Jun-kun!" Sho spoke urgently and hurried towards Jun, who now looked at him, confused.

"Uhm, oka-" before Jun could reply, Sho had pulled him out of the door. Nino and Ohno stared at the door, completely surprised.

"... Sho-kun is acting really weird, isn't he?" Ohno said. Nino nodded slowly, wondering why he felt his heart clench a little.

Outside, Sho spoke softly to Jun. "Can we go for a drink later tonight?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

"So Oh-chan," Nino spoke over his beer, after telling him about the entire problem, "what should I do?"  
Ohno looked at him hazily and nodded a little, somewhat understanding what Nino had told him.

"I... really think you should tell him," Ohno commented, his speech lightly slurred, "like, right out in his face," he continued, punctuating his speech with a clean-cut hand gesture. Nino snickered.

"Not helping, Oh-chan. I know that you know that I can't possibly do something like that," Nino said laughingly. Ohno laughed along with him.

"But isn't it the easiest way to get over with things?" Ohno asked as he took another gulp of his beer.

"Plus," he added, "Sho-kun likes someone who is honest."  
Nino looked at him quizzically.

"I never lied to him.. yet..." Nino said.

"There's that," Ohno replied, "but he likes someone to be able to tell things to his face."

"Like 'Sho! Your cooking is horrible!' ? Like that?" Nino asked as he wheezed in laughter.

"That and 'Oi! Sho! Your drawing is horrible!'," Ohno added. And they started laughing like a bunch of lunatics.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jun stared at Sho, an eyebrow arched as he sipped on his tea.

"You know," Sho spoke, "I don't know why you're ordering tea when you can order beer."

"I think you ought to remember that once I drink I can't stop," Jun said, "it's a quirk of mine remember?"

"Ah right! You can totally keep drinking until the next morning!" Sho agreed.

"So, you must have something to discuss with me about, right?" Jun asked.  
Sho sighed, scratching his head awkwardly.

"Actually, I'm here to discuss about Nino," Sho admitted.

"Nino?" Jun questioned.

"Yeah. Actually, I-" Sho was interrupted when his phone rang. He picked it up to see that Nino was calling him.

"Hello?"

"Ah! Sho! Hahaha. You picked up.." Nino's sing-song voice rang so loudly in his ears that Sho had to hold his phone far away from him.

"Nino? Are you okay? Are you drunk?" Sho asked.

"Drunk? Me? Oh no no no no no I'm not drunk! Leader here, however, is most defintely drunk!" Nino protested, trying in vain not to sound delirious. Sho glanced at Jun and shook his head with a smile.

"Oiii. Nino! That's not why you called him, right? Go on, tell him!" Sho could hear Ohno yelling at Nino.

"Oh riiiight. Haha. I remember. Sho! I need to tell you something!" Nino said.  
Sho listened, his heart thumping hard in his chest.

"I... I..."

Sho's eyes lit up in surprise. "Yes? You...?" Sho urged, holding his breath.

"I...I think your cooking is real bad!" Nino blurted out. Sho could only freeze where he was in mild surprise.

"Oi! No! No! No! Not that!" he heard Ohno scold lightly, and after a short struggle tugged the phone away from Nino.

"Sho-kuuuuuuuun," Ohno greeted.

"Ne, Ohno-kun. Before anything else, can you tell me where you guys are?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sho and Jun had rushed to the bar that Ohno had told them, only to find that the two men were face down on the bar counter.

"Why am I always dealing with drunk idiots?" Jun muttered as he helped up Nino to his feet.

"Yeah, I wonder too," Sho muttered as he slung Ohno's hand over his shoulder.

"What, you're the one to talk- the last time it was you who was drunk and Nino helped you back!" Jun said.

"Ah, right.." Sho said, "then I'll take care of him this time," he said, reaching out to take Nino by the arm. Leaving Ohno to be supported by Jun, he escorted a drunk Nino out of the bar.

"... So it's me with leader again?!" Jun murmured as he drove him back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Nino stumbled hard against Sho's door as Sho fumbled for his keys. He finally let them both in, and Nino chuckled as he zigzagged his way across Sho's living room. Sho hurriedly locked the door and proceeded to help him into his bedroom. Nino flopped on the bed with an audible thud. Sho proceeded to take off Nino's jacket and tie to make him sleep better. He heaved a short sigh as he started to get ready for bed himself. As he was about to leave for the bathroom, he felt Nino grab his hand hurriedly.

"Sho.." he moaned. Sho blinked and looked at him. Nino was in his bed, lying down with his right forearm covering his eyes.

"Yes?" Sho said, concerned.

"Maybe Oh-chan is right," Nino murmured. Sho looked at him, wondering what he had meant.

"I should be more honest," Nino continued in his sleep, "I should be more outright. It'd clarify things better than stupid mind games.."

Sho's heart thudded quickly in his chest.

"So, I'll be honest. Just so you'll get it. It'll be so simple that it's just right in your face," Nino blurted out.

Sho waited.

...

Nothng came.

Sho pursed his lips and strolled over to the bathroom. After he got ready, he opened up the fridge and took out two aspirin tablets. He took a jug of water and set it on the study table in his bedroom. He then crawled over to his bed and settled in beside Nino. Nino was lying in a foetus position, his sleeping face facing him. Sho let a small, affectionate smile stay on his face as he reached a hand over to stroke Nino's soft hair. His hand grew heavy and finally settled on the side of Nino's smooth neck as he fell asleep.


	7. Leaping without looking

_Nino's hands cradled Sho's plump face, patting the round, ruddy cheeks lightly. Sho smiled, leaning his forehead against his. Nino responded with a light smirk, bumping his nose lightly against Sho's before nuzzling against it. Finally, Sho broke the distance between them.. and kissed Nino softly on the lips._

_It was soft, brief and rather shy, but it was long enough for Nino to feel Sho's firm lips on his. They parted gasping for air, staring long and hard at each other. Finally, their undeniable attraction for each other drew their lips together over and over and over again, each kiss growing more passionate than the one before. When they were finally a little exhausted, the couple settled down beside each other, their arms entangling around one another._

  
Nino awoke, his eyes fluttering open. The first thing he saw- Sho's sleeping face. Shocked and most definitely surprised, he jerked out of Sho's embrace, staring in slight panic at the unfamiliar surroundings. Looking at the plaque that bore a university degree in Economics, he realised that it was Sho's room he was sleeping in. He could only recall that he had been having a drink with Ohno. But as to when Sho had popped up and brought him back home, he had no clue. Moreover, he could not seem to shake his mind off the dream he had the previous night. Like how they cuddled against each other on the couch in his previous dream, it was more warm and reassuring of Sho's affections for him.

  
If they do exist, he mentally added.

  
He got up and out of bed, looking in the kitchen to cook for Sho.

  
Days passed since then, with Nino thanking Sho profusely for taking care of him even though it was Ohno's fault that he was drunk. Sho had dismissed it with a  smile and even complimented on his cooking skills were great. However, Nino noted with a slight hint of wist, that Sho seemed to be a little distant from him.

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
It was the night of Sho's flight to Russia. Sho had gone to retrieve his boarding pass. A long distance away from him stood the other three members who surrounded Nino like a gang of theives.

  
"Hey! He's like about to go and may not return for like weeks or so! And you have yet to even confess to him?!" Aiba asked.

  
"It's not that easy to do so, you know," Nino whined.

  
"I told you, be forthright and direct!" Ohno said.

  
"But I can't possibly do that!" Nino protested.

  
"Nino," Jun asserted, "listen. Sho had told me that he wanted to discuss something about you. He's not stupid, you know. He had definitely felt something. You just need to confirm that it's true."

  
"But don't you see that if he happens to say no, it would mean that we would not be able to speak or work with each other like before?" Nino asked.

  
"Nino, calm down," Ohno advised, "this is a personal issue between Sho and you. And honestly, all of us have no idea how this might work out. But if it does turn for the worse... I expect that you two will at least keep up with the professionalism and keep personal issues separate from work."

  
"But after all that, I think he probably won't say no! I've seen how he looks at you so worriedly on the boat," Aiba said, "And honestly, would you want him to leave without at least answering that unspoken question that had been around his head for a long time?"

  
"Trust me, playing mind games is fun, but it gets tiring and really taxing. I think we all would not want to see you or Sho like this." Jun said.

  
Nino sighed. His band members had a point. Much as it was going to be out of his zone of comfort, he had to try.

  
"Okay.. I'll try." Nino spoke with some resolve.

  
"Try what, Nino?"

  
The four men jumped when Sho appeared behind them.

  
"I've received my boarding pass already. It's just nice, about time to go!" Sho said excitedly.

  
"Uwaaahhh you are going to Russia already?! Mou, you really leave too soon, Sho-chan!" Aiba pouted, hugging Sho really tightly.

  
"I'll be back really soon too, Aiba-kun~" Sho said, hugging him back.

  
Next, it was Jun.

  
"Jun, about that issue.. I think we'll discuss it another time, okay?" Sho said apologetically as he hugged him.

  
"Oh, it's fine. I think that can be taken care of soon enough," Jun answered cryptically.

  
Sho shrugged and proceeded to hug Ohno.

  
"Leader, do help me make sure these three kids don't kill themselves," Sho said. Ohno chuckled softly and nodded.

  
And lastly, it was Nino. Nino gave Sho a wistful smile and hugged him.

  
"Don't freeze to death there okay. I don't think we like frozen ice sculptures for newscasters," Nino said in his bratty tone. Sho laughed and gave Nino's body a tight squeeze before drawing back at ruffling his soft hair. He gave his fellow band members a slight wave before striding towards the gates.

  
Nino, however, could almost sense something in him pointing out that Sho really did not want to leave. He could feel it in the way Sho squeezed him tighter in his embrace and in the way that Sho's fingers lingered lightly on his jet-black strands.

  
**_"There are many times, many many many times.. when I wonder how..how it might be like, if... if we..."_ **   


  
**_"Nino... don't finish all the hamburgers, leave some for me..."_ **   


  
**_"Oi! Nino! Don't finish it like the last time and leave some for me!"_ **   


  
**_"Just sleep, idiot. Fancy you coming on the speedboat with us while you're seasick..."_ **   


  
**_"It's been a long while since we last sat like this, right?"_ **   


  
**_"Gomen, let me sleep for a short while before we eat Leader's fish. I'm really tired these days,"_ **   


  
**_"I... really think you should tell him...like, right out in his face,"_ **   


  
**_"...he likes someone to be able to tell things to his face."_ **   


  
**_"He's not stupid, you know. He had definitely felt something. You just need to confirm that it's true."_ **   


  
**_"Would you want to let him leave without at least answering that unspoken question that had been around his head for a long time?"_ **   


 

Nino had enough. He rushed after the man and grabbed his hand, pulling a stunned Sho into his arms.

 

**"Sho... I'm in love with you."**


	8. The Other Side of The Coin.

To Nino, it felt as if time had stood still. The pair stayed the exactly way they were- an astounded Sho being wrapped up in Nino's arms. Nino had always wanted to hold Sho like this- not just when either of them were drunk or asleep and dreaming, but when they were both awake and conscious of the fact that they were embracing each other. How long had he wanted that, he did not know. But that moment was one he had waited for the longest time.  
  
He felt time move again when the last call for Sho's plane came. Sho placed his hands on Nino's shoulders and drew themselves apart, looking at Nino in the eye, his face completely expressionless. Nino stared right back, his determined look faltering slightly and giving way to insecurities that had held him back from confessing. He let his eyes fall down to his shoes, trying his best to keep himself from trembling nervously.  
  
Suddenly, he felt Sho cup his face and before he could understand what was happening, he felt himself being pulled against Sho's body, his eyes closing instinctively and his mouth engaged in the familiar warmth of a passionate liplock. Sho kissed him feverishly with unspoken desire that had been held back for months as he held Nino close to him, almost in fear that everything was only but a dream. As sudden as he kissed him, Sho drew back, bumping his forehead lightly against Nino's before hurrying away to the departure gates. The other three men behind him were cheering loudly as Sho turned to give his band members a final wave before disappearing behind the gates.  
  
"See? I told you he wouldn't say no!" Aiba said cheerfully as he proceeded to pat Nino on the back.  
  
"Technically he didn't say yes either," Nino rebutted.  
  
"NINO!" The three men yelled.  
  
"Okay okay! Just kidding!" Nino said while laughing. Just then, he felt his phone vibrate. He took out his phone to see it's a message from Sho.  
  
"Nino, I'm boarding the plane soon. Take care and wait for me. I'll be back before you know it.  
  
I'll call you later tonight.  
  
Sho"  
  
"Awwwww~ Sho sent Nino a love letter~" Aiba teased. Ohno and Jun started crowding around him, demanding for a peek.  
  
"Oi," Nino protested laughingly, flashing his phone screen at the three, "how exactly is this a love letter?!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
Nino lay in bed that night, but rather than devising plans to seduce Sho, he was recalling everything that had happened between them. Sho sleeping on his shoulder, Sho hugging him, and then there was that breath-taking ki- Suddenly, his phone rang. As Sho had promised, he had called.  
  
"Hello? Nino?" that familiar, deep voice greeted him.  
  
"Hey," Nino greeted, smiling awkwardly as if he was speaking to Sho in person.  
  
"Hey... It's... really cold here." Sho spoke, chuckling a little as he laid down on the hotel bed, staring up at the ceiling. He could hear Nino's smirk on the other end.  
  
"What else would you expect? It's the Winter Olympics after all!" Nino chided jokingly into the phone.  
  
"Right," Sho laughed before sighing into the phone as a carefree smile crossed his lips.  
  
"When will you be back?" Nino asked.  
  
"In about three weeks?" Sho said.  
  
"Ahh... then it's not exactly 'before you know it' now is it?" Nino commented.  
  
"Probably not," Sho agreed with a light smile on his face, "why? You're missing me already?" he teased.  
  
There was a long pause on the other end.  
  
"... Actually.. I missed you the moment you got on the plane," Nino confessed, feeling his cheeks flush for the millionth time.  
  
"Ah..."  
  
"... Oi, what kind of reply was that?" Nino asked. Sho could almost imagine Nino pouting at him.  
  
"No, it's nothing. It's just.. I missed you right after I left you," Sho replied, a shy smile on his face.  
  
"... Good to know that you missed me. Now you'll have to come back as quickly as you can, ne?" Nino replied in his bratty manner.  
  
"Right," Sho agreed, "but I honestly did not expect that you would confess to me right before I leave... I had wanted to ask you after I returned."  
  
Nino paused. "Eh? Then.. you.. also.."  
  
"... What? I thought that was obvious enough!" Sho protested.  
  
"Y-you, you didn't give me any reply..." Nino replied unsurely.  
  
"Oi, if you recall, I k-k-kissed you in front of the rest of Arashi and possibly the whole of Japan..." Sho rebutted, feeling his face blushing a deep shade of red, warming up his cold cheeks.  
  
"Oh yes you did, but technically that did not count. You didn't tell me a thing," Nino replied wittily.  
  
"But I told you I missed you right after I left you, didn't I?"  
  
"But you miss everyone the same way, no?"  
  
"..."  
  
Nino gave himself a smug grin, patting himself on the shoulder. Sho cleared his throat several times before he spoke softly.  
  
"I love you, Nino."  
  
Nino was sure that he could feel his face glow a bright red inside his dark room.  
  
"... .. t-th-..that's more like it," Nino said as he tried to regain his composure, "and to commend that, I'll be honest with you about one thing."  
  
"ooooh~" it was now Sho's turn to be smug, "out with it~"  
  
".. My initial intentions towards you were not pure," Nino said.  
  
There was a long, pregnant pause on the other end.  
  
"Eh? What exactly does that mean?" Sho's voice replied shakily.  
  
"I mean, it was the dreams that I had. They were.. erm.. er... not exactly fit for the 7PM slots on TV," Nino said.  
  
"Are you serious?" Sho asked.  
  
"Honestly. I have no idea how those dreams came about," Nino continued hurried, feeling his face heat up steadily,"they were just that.. erm... er... racy. Yup. Racy. And er.. I wondered how it'd be like if.."  
  
"If...?" Sho egged on with a teasing, playful tone.  
  
"If we... er..."  
  
"Do it?" Sho finished for him, trying his best to hold back his giggles.  
  
".. Er... ermm... yeah..." Nino muttered before burying his face in his hands. Sho finally burst out laughing into Nino's ears.  
  
"OI! What's so funny?! Do you know how badly those dreams tormented me?!" Nino argued.  
  
"Sorry..." Sho apologised while wheezing in laughter, "but I... *wheeze* I.. I really don't see how that is anything to be worried about."  
  
Nino arched an eyebrow as he sat up.  
  
"I'm sorry, what?" Nino asked.  
  
"Actually..." Sho was blushing really really hard now, "I had those kind of dreams too and I had been thinking about those stuff as well..."  
  
Nino jumped back on his bed in surprise. "EH?! SERIOUSLY?!"  
  
"Yeah.. Darn it now I'm getting embarrassed. Darn it!!" Sho's voice became muffled as if he just buried his face into the hotel pillow.  
  
Nino laughed along with him.  
  
"Then you tried to seduce me?" Nino asked curiously.  
  
"Honestly? I did. Why else did I hover so close to you everytime I called you out fo your sleep?" Sho asked.  
  
 ** _Nino felt a light tap on his shoulder and had a second heart attack that day when he saw Sho's face close to his._**  
  
"Wait a minute.. then that time in the dressing room.." Nino's voice trailed off.  
  
 ** _Nino tried not to hyperventilate as he watched Sho change out of his tank top into his tuxedo. Somehow, it was as if the higher powers in the heavens were out to make a sport of him. It has been a widely known fact that Sakurai Sho looked extremely charming and sexy in a tank top._**  
  
"Yup. I was purposefully changing in front of you," Sho said.  
  
"And you remembered?!" Nino asked, genuinely surprised.  
  
"That was the first time. And then, remember the time when the costume staff were late and I was in my dressing robe?"  
  
"Wait, don't tell me- you had perfectly intended to be clothed in ONLY your dressing robes." Nino asked.  
  
 ** _"Ah, good afternoon~" Sho greeted and held down his newspapers, smiling back at him. Nino tried not to jump Sho right at that moment when he saw that he was not wearing any shirt beneath his black dressing robes.  
  
"Erm," he said, trying not to stutter, "aren't our costumes coming some time now?" Nino asked.  
  
"Nope. I'm here early because I wanted to tell you guys that the costumes arrival might be a little delayed. But it's alright- you have nothing else on later, right?" Sho asked._**  
  
"Yup, that too, was intentional." Sho said.  
  
Nino's mind reeled into a frenzy. So Sho had been planning his own seduction game while he planned his!  
  
"... Was being drunk part of it?" Nino asked.  
  
"Eh? Oh, that one? No! I can't do much when I'm drunk now, can I?" Sho said.  
  
"You can blurt out some funny things and do some strange things too.." Nino said.  
  
"Strange things like taking off my shirt? I did that knowingly while you were asleep. I woke up earlier than you that morning." Sho said. Nino's eyes widened at the memory.  
  
 ** _The warmth was not from the blanket, but from Sakurai cute-as-hell Sho, whose dreamy face lay just above his own, and hence leaving Nino to be nuzzling into his neck. Nino blushed, his eyes gazing down and noted, with a mix of delight and slight chagrin, Sho's bare muscular chest. He tried to keep his eyes away from the well-built body and looked towards his waist. It was Sho's hand that had slid down his waist. What a thing to behold in the morning- him being near-embraced in bed by his sexy eye-candy-and-bandmate._**  
  
"Don't do that next time! You gave me a rude shock so early in the morning!" Nino protested.  
  
"Haha, I'm sorry. But it was part of my plan! And you can't deny that it worked, no?" Sho said.  
  
Nino pouted, "... and the outing that morning?"

"Oi.. since we are already together can't we consider that a date? And plus, that was when I was dragged by YOU, remember?" Sho asked.  
  
"Ah... right.." Nino said, recalling that he had indeed invited Sho out.  
  
"But it was honestly fun. I enjoyed it," Sho said.  
  
"We'll do it again, ne?" Nino suggested, "book-shopping, hamburger eating, playing games in my house.."  
  
"By the way, erm.. What exactly did I say that was so weird in my sleep?" Sho asked, almost beggingly.  
  
"Nino... don't finish all the hamburgers, leave some for me..."  
  
"I actually said that?!" Sho exclaimed, surprised.  
  
"Yes. Ahh, that explains why you sounded like I had taken you out for a hamburger before when I had not..." Nino reasoned as the facts started falling into place.  
  
"Yeah, it's because I dreamt that we were eating hamburgers together," Sho spoke with an embarrassed tone.  
  
"Actually, on that day out at the beach, I had wanted to impress you by joining you on the boat.." Nino said.  
  
"And it backfired on you, didn't it? Really, what were you thinking?! You know you couldn't go on any boat even if your life depended on that!" Sho chided.  
  
"But then how else would I have been able to stay around you?" Nino asked.  
  
"You know, I had wanted to accompany you if you were planning to stay on the beach." Sho said.  
  
Nino's heart warmed slightly at the thought that Sho had been considerate of him all along.  
  
"That time, I had really wanted to sleep on your shoulder," Sho continued.  
  
 ** _"Those were the days huh," Sho said thoughtfully, crossing his right leg over to his left, letting his right slipper hang loose from his foot. Nino stretched out his feet as he watched the sun go down, letting his legs brush against Sho's lightly. Suddenly, he felt a heavy weight on his right shoulder. He turned to see that Sho had rested his head lightly on his shoulder.  
  
"Gomen, let me sleep for a short while before we eat Leader's fish. I'm really tired these days," Sho whispered. Nino nodded understandingly and let his right arm wound around Sho's back, supporting him as he slept. Soon, he started to lean on Sho's head, trying his best to enjoy the warmth that their bodies provided them._**  
  
"Part of your plan?" Nino asked.  
  
"No. I honestly wanted to feel your shoulder supporting my head as I rested. I don't think that had felt so right with anyone before." Sho said.  
  
Nino could feel his heart melting away by now.  
  
"You know, that night on the way back," Nino spoke, "I realised I loved you."  
  
He could hear Sho chuckle on the other end.  
  
"I knew I did when we rested against each other as the sun set," Sho said," but I had no idea how I should put it to you. So I asked Jun outside the green room for his advice... You took it the wrong way, didn't you?"  
  
"Ehhh? But I was at a loss too and I wanted to ask Oh-chan for advice too!" Nino protested.  
  
"Yeah, and some advice you got. You got drunk! And gee, no need to remind me that my cooking is bad!" Sho said, pouting unhappily as he said that.  
  
"Haha, I'm sorry. Well, that night, I actually had a dream. It had felt so real..."  
  
 ** _Nino's hands cradled Sho's plump face, patting the round, ruddy cheeks lightly. Sho smiled, leaning his forehead against his. Nino responded with a light smirk, bumping his nose lightly against Sho's before nuzzling against it. Finally, Sho broke the distance between them.. and kissed Nino softly on the lips.  
It was soft, brief and rather shy, but it was long enough for Nino to feel Sho's firm lips on his. They parted gasping for air, staring long and hard at each other. Finally, their undeniable attraction for each other drew their lips together over and over and over again, each kiss growing more passionate than the one before. When they were finally a little exhausted, the couple settled down beside each other, their arms entangling around one another._**  
  
"Nino... that was no dream." Sho spoke.  
  
Nino froze for several seconds.  
  
"Eh? What?"  
  
"You awoke. But you were probably still a little drunk, that's why you couldn't remember..." Sho said, his mind running through what had exactly happened..

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
"Sho... Sho..." Nino groaned in the middle of the night, awaking Sho who lay beside him. Sho sat up and turned to him worriedly. Nino looked up at him, and smiled.  
  
"Your cooking is bad," Nino breathed.  
  
Sho rolled his eyes, "if that's all he's going to tell me, I'm going to-" his thoughts were stopped when he felt Nino place his hands on his cheeks.  
  
"And yet..." Nino drawled in his drunken stupor, "I don't know why, but I find it cute. So.. impossibly... cute..." he said, punctuating those last few words with a pat on the cheek.  
  
Sho sighed, resignedly. Nino was a brat and he knew it more than anyone. But yet, he himself, too, had no idea why but he found that part of Nino cute. Irresistable. Charming, even. He smiled and laid his forehead on Nino's.Nino responded by bumping his nose lightly against Sho's before rubbing his nose against his in an Eskimo kiss.  
  
"Why an Eskimo kiss instead of a real one?" Sho thought, leaning in for a shy, chaste kiss.  
  
Nino had stiffened for a moment, but his body softened in his arms as they drew apart with Sho staring right at him. Before either of them could think, their lips were back together, dancing against each other in a passionate, heated kiss that spoke volumes for their months of desire for each other. Finally, satisfied with their kiss, they lay back down on the bed, hugging each other.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
"... So that airport kiss wasn't the first, huh.. But it felt so.." Nino thought.  
  
"That airport kiss was still special to me though," Sho said, as if detecting Nino's thoughts from miles away, "because that's when we both reciprocated each other, ne?"  
  
For some reason, Nino could almost feel the heat of Sho's arms around him and the warmth of Sho's lips against his. Perhaps the fact that they have acknowledged and accepted each others' feelings just made each touch and sensation so memorable.  
  
"True.. Ahh!" Nino exclaimed as he looked at the time, "we ought to sleep. You are busy tomorrow, aren't you?"  
  
"Oh right!" Sho said as he stared at the alarm clock near him.  
  
"Well then... er.. Sho?" Nino started, trying not to sound off, "I..er.."  
  
"I'll be back soon. And I'll text you every night. So.. wait for me, alright?" Sho said.  
  
"... okay. Then.. I'll see you when you arrive at the airport?" Nino said.  
  
"Yep. Remember to give me a very very warm welcome by then, ne~" Sho replied, smirking to himself.  
  
"Oh I'll make sure of that. Goodnight. Ganbatte ne?" Nino said.  
  
"Goodnight Nino. ... I love you." Sho hung up.  
  
Nino looked at the handphone and sighed happily as he buried his face into the pillow.  
  
While he did give Sho a hug and confessed to him, the hungry kiss that Sho had given him and his reply were effective in making his heart speed up a little faster.  
  
Sho - 5, Nino- 5.  
  
He did not bother to take in those seduction tactics that Sho had employed- he knew that the two of them would tie over and over and over again.  
  
After all, he was as attracted to Sho as Sho was to himself. And that alone was enough proof that they were meant for each other in every way.


	9. Tadaima ("I'm back" )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE LONG-AWAITED FINALE IS HEREEEE. I was not kidding when I said you need your uchiwas for this one. *flicks out hand fan, fans self* >/ / / / / )

The days following Sho's departure were rather bittersweet to Nino.

On one hand, Sho's affections for him have been confirmed, and every text message from him never failed to leave him sighing in bliss. At the very least, he knew that they had each other. But on the other, he would look at the text messages every-so-often and wonder when Sho would return. While he had been able to see Sho reporting live on TV, He missed him so much, craving the brush of his legs against his, the feel of his strong arms around his waist, the tickling of his soft, fluffy hair when he leaned on Nino's shoulder and that passionate, fiery kiss that stole away his breath.

  
Absorbed in his thoughts, he felt his phone buzz, an all-too-familiar name appearing on his phone. Nino smiled while reaching for his phone and read the message.

  
"Nino!

Did you see the figure skaters today?! They were really awesome! I'm just about done and I'm about to meet some of the other reporters for dinner. It's been incredibly busy around here.

Missed you like always.

Sho.

"

Nino smiled and typed back his reply.

  
"Yeah. I watched them today. I also saw you interviewing some of them. That jacket you were wearing looked incredibly cuddly. I wished I was snuggling up against that.

And do NOT even think about finding other idiotic people with more slender hands than mine!

Come back soon, idiot."

  
After sending his reply, he closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep, his phone lying just a short distance away from his hand.

  
After a short while, Nino's phone vibrated and blinked to life, showing Sho's final reply for the night.

  
"I'll buy you a matching jacket.

And just so you know, your hamburger hands have always been my favourite."

  
*Two days before Sho's scheduled return*

Nino lounged on the sofa, breathing deeply as he tried to relax.

  
"Mou, Nino! Are you okay?!" Aiba asked, concerned.

  
"My head..it really hurts..." Nino complained, nursing his throbbing temple. Jun elegantly arched an eyebrow while heading over to him with a cup of tea in hand.

  
"This might help to clear your nerves," Jun offered, handing the cup over to Nino.

  
"I think you should go back and rest that head," Ohno said," it's fine if you take the rest of today off, alright?"

  
"Yeah.. I'm really really sorry.." Nino murmured weakly before shuffling out to return home.

  
Groaning at the throbbing sensation in his head, he collapsed unto his bed, not even bothering to take out his jacket and beanie. Tired with a splitting headache, Nino wanted nothing more than to just rest in bed and bear with it for a few hours before taking some aspirin. He looked at the time- it was about 2 in the afternoon. He could probably sleep and wake up in time for dinner.. and aspirin, of course.

  
But at about 7 in the evening, the doorbell of his apartment rang. Nino groaned irritably, tossing and turning in bed.

  
"Ahh... it's getting stuffy..." he thought, shrugging off his jacket and beanie, casting them both lazily to one corner of his bed before settling back down beneath the sheets.

  
The doorbell rang again. Nino sat up, a murderous look in his eyes.

  
"It's probably some kids playing with the darned doorbell," Nino decided and grumpily shuffled over towards the doorway, with his half-opened eyes and incredibly messy hair. Taking a deep breath, he yelled as he was about to open the door,

  
"OI! YOU GAKIS. YOU BETTER STOP WITH THE DOORBELL OR ELSE-"

  
He was cut short when he felt himself being shoved strongly back into the apartment, his back against the shoe cabinet. Before he could comprehend what was happening, he felt a light tickle of hair against his forehead and a familiar pair of lips engulfed his own. His sleepy eyes were now completely awakened as they adjusted in the dark to catch a glimpse of a familiar silhouette with sloping shoulders standing in front of him.

  
"... Sho?!" Nino exclaimed, gawking in surprise.

  
The silhouette gave a deep chuckle as it found a light switch and flicked it on.

  
The bright light that shone in hurt Nino's eyes, but he could not help but cry out in joy as he catapulted himself into Sho's embrace.

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
"So it was really fun, I guess," Sho said after he gave Nino a brief description of his activities in Russia.

  
Nino listened with interest. "But then," he questioned, "weren't you supposed to return the day after tomorrow?"

  
Sho chuckled and ruffled Nino's already-messy hair.

"I was given a few days off so I can explore a little of Sochi before returning," Sho explained, "but after one day of it, I decided to come back earlier."

  
Nino blinked in surprise. He had known Sho to be very curious and always wanting to discover new places and learn about different cultures. For him to give up the opportunity of a few days to learn more about culture and history in Russia, Nino thought, would be rather unusual.

  
"... Why? I mean, you've always wanted to know more about other countries, right?" Nino asked.

  
Sho smiled softly and leaned over to peck Nino shyly on the forehead.

"I did learn a little. I did walk around and explore parts of Sochi. Those places were so beautiful," Sho paused, and then continued with a light blush on his face, "that I couldn't help but wish you were there with me to enjoy it."

  
Nino felt his face warm pleasantly at Sho's words. "You mean, you actually came back earlier because you missed me?" he asked.

  
Sho smirked. "Soooomething like that," he answered.

  
Nino snorted. "But you couldn't come at a worse time such as this," he complained, pointing to his head while pouting.

  
Sho sighed, "Yeah, I heard from Aiba-kun. Headache?"

  
Nino nodded and shuffled slowly to the fridge to look for aspirin. Just then, he felt Sho wrap his arms around his waist.

  
"I think we can do something about that," Sho whispered.

  
"Oh? You know something better than aspirin?" Nino asked.

  
Sho grinned, "actually..." he drawled and then whispered softly into Nino's ear. Nino started to flush a bright red, completely putting those red traffic lights to shame.

  
"Seriously?!" Nino exclaimed, completely and utterly embarrassed as he tried to wriggle out of Sho's arms, "or was it just you being a perv and making it up?!"

  
Sho laughed at Nino's reaction and tightened his grip around the smaller man. "I'm not joking! It helps to cure a headache because of endorphins and other pain-relieving hormones!"

  
"But honestly, _ **honestly**_ , what makes you so sure that an orgasm can help cure a headache?! I've never heard of that!" Nino protested.

  
Sho smirked, a mischievous, devilish glint in his eye. He breathed out slowly as he drew back and nuzzled the tips of Nino's hair that covered his smooth, pale nape.

  
"We can test out that hypothesis," he replied, the deep, husky voice sending tingles down Nino's spine, "right here... right now."

  
***CUE:OKAY BRING YOUR UCHIWAS. ALL OF THEM. KIDS BELOW 17, LOOK ONLY AT THEM. OTHERS 17 AND ABOVE, FAN THYSELF WITH THEM***   


  
Sho quickly swivelled Nino around to pin him against the wall.

  
"Sho, what are you doing-" he was interrupted by the oh-so-pleasurable sensation of Sho's lower body pinning against his butt.

  
"Don't move," Sho commanded as he shrugged out of his blazer and took off his gray-coloured tie while keeping the knot intact. He then took Nino's arms, holding them behind him, sliding the neck loop of the tie unto Nino's wrists before tightening the knot and securing his arms with an additional dead knot. Nino frowned lightly at the discomfort that the tie was giving him. Sho chuckled and massaged Nino's shoulders.

  
"No need to draw them back like that. Just relax... and enjoy.." Sho whispered.

  
In a swift, not-so-innocent move, he leaned down to kiss Nino's nape before licking it, letting his tongue draw a slow, warm ticklish line from the bottom of his neck to his right shoulder. Nino completely forgot about his headache as he felt his breaths grow short, his mouth opening to exhale a silent moan of pleasure as he felt the warmth of Sho's tongue leave a burning and cooling sensation on his sensitive neck. Sho stopped at the edge of his collar, his nose poking the collar of his shirt.

  
"Let's take this elsewhere more comfortable," Sho said, tugging Nino by his bound arms and leading him gently towards the bedroom.  
Nino sat down on the bed as Sho proceeded to draw the curtains, leaving them in only to be bundled in Sho's arms from the back.

  
"Do you know what I like about this position you're in right now?" Sho murmured softly against Nino's skin as he proceeded to attack Nino's nape again, sucking hard until a visible red mark bloomed on his skin.

  
"I can do whatever I want with you," Sho continued, "and you can do nothing about it." he finished, punctuating the end of his statement by sliding his hand down the front of Nino's pants, palming his rapidly hardening erection. Nino let out a soft mewl and whined when he felt Sho remove his hand and heard him walk out of the room.

  
"Oi! Sho!" he yelled.

  
"Just a minute! Getting some... props!" Sho called back as he rummaged impatiently through his bag.

  
"That idiot! Fancy leaving me alone, hot and completely bothered.. if not for the fact that I am bound I would have really..." Nino grumbled in his head as he waited for Sho to return.

Sho strode back into the room, holding in his hands an eyemask, scented massage oil and...

  
"Sho?! A whole box of ice?!" Nino asked incredulously.

  
"Why not? Ice packs have been effective in curing headaches, no?"  Sho asked as he set the box down on the bedside table.

  
"You're crazy," Nino mumbled.

  
"Yes," Sho replied, his voice full of lust and a slight hint of amusement, "and believe me, you'll soon be as well."

Nino did not fully understand what Sho had meant until he felt his jeans being snapped open and roughly tugged along with his boxers down to the floor, his hard flesh poking out at Sho. Before long, he felt Sho slide his mouth down onto his member, the pleasurable warmth of his mouth sending shocks up his body, making him lie back onto his bed. Nino gazed down to see Sho drag his mouth up and down Nino's rock-hard flesh, tasting, savouring and teasing him. That sight of having his cock disappear past Sho's perfect, kissable lips and into his mouth just turned him on even more. He threw his head back down and arched his body up, almost thrusting into Sho's mouth. From Nino's increasingly loud moans, he could sense Nino getting close to the edge, and at that moment, he pulled away. Nino was about to complain, protest and wriggle out of Sho's tie when his eyes widened in surprise as he felt the sudden chill of an ice cube on his erection.

  
"Sho! What are you-"

  
Sho silenced him by dragging it up and down his member. His cock, just moments ago exposed to the warm cavern of Sho's mouth, was now confronted with the contrasting chill of the ice cube. It was numbing, almost painful, but yet.. Nino couldn't put a finger as to why he was enjoying it so much. Before long, the ice cube was gone, leaving his cold, chilled member to the warmth of the air. Sho repeated the cycle by taking his member once again, this time making the blowjob hard and fast, hollowing his cheeks as he did so. Nino once again felt his member warm up in Sho's mouth, his pleasured moans growing louder once again.

  
"Nnghh, ahh, Sho! I'm-" Nino was about to come when Sho quickly drew back and placed another ice cube right at the tip of Nino's member. Nino writhed violently on the bed at the sensation and at the fact that Sho was being too much of a tease.

  
"Sho! Stop that and do me already, you idiot!" Nino complained as he tried his best to get over the edge but couldn't.

  
"Na-uh..." Sho said, "not without the eyemask."

Sho then slipped on the eyemask, and Nino's vision was covered in complete darkness.

  
In the dark he could feel Sho roll up his shirt over his body, moving it over his head to let it rest behind him with his tied arms. He felt Sho's lips on his, kissing him tenderly at first, and then each kiss that followed grew stronger with greater intensity. He shivered as he felt Sho's wet, ice-cold hands brush along the sides of his pale body.

  
"You have no idea how much I wanted this,Nino... " Sho breathed against Nino's lips,letting his tongue slip into his mouth, tickling the insides of his cheeks a little. Nino whimpered as he felt himself melting and submitting under Sho's control. If that game was still on, Sho would be said to be gaining a complete edge over him.

  
And he was enjoying it, nevertheless.

  
"I think it's time," Sho said as he flipped Nino to face down on the bed. Straddling Nino by sitting on his cute butt, Sho reached for the lavender-scented massage oil. He poured a generous amount onto his hand and started to massage Nino's shoulders.

  
"Sho, I'm asking you to do me, not give me a massage!" Nino demanded, his body desperately in need of release.

  
"Shhh..." Sho hushed as he moved his hands up and down Nino's neck and then circling his temples, "I will when you are completely relaxed."

  
Nino huffed irritably and let Sho give him a brief massage. What he didn't expect was that Sho had only finished massaging his temples before indiscreetly shoving a slick finger into his ass. Nino gasped in surprise as he felt Sho's slender, piano-trained fingers scissor him wider, one of his fingers brushing nonchalantly against his spot, making him moan at a higher pitch.  Sho gave a smug grin.

  
"There...huh..." He said before swiftly pulling his fingers out, rubbing his equally hard erection at Nino's well-prepared hole. Suddenly, without warning, he snapped his hips up, plunging his member right into Nino's body and hitting his spot. Nino cried out as he felt his body being painfully stretched to accommodate Sho's huge anatomy. Sho bent down, nuzzling Nino's hair as he let Nino's body adjust. When Nino felt so full of ecstasy that he started moving his body along Sho's dick, Sho pinned him down on the mattress to stop him from moving and proceeded to pound him hard, hitting him hard on his spot with every single thrust.

  
"Ahh!  Aghh.. Ngghhh... so... good..." Nino moaned as the dull pain started to fade, his body replaced by burning, surging pleasure.

  
"There's more where this comes from," Sho replied wittily, illustrating his point by speeding up his rough thrusts, making Nino call out louder.

  
"You...will...regret...this..." Nino choked out his words as he felt each thrust hammering his spot over and over.

  
"Or. Will. I?" Sho taunted with three hard thrusts.

  
"You... bet.." Nino replied as he felt his body clench around Sho's. Urged on by the light pressure, he drove his body faster against Nino's until he came shuddering with Nino's name on his lips. When he had rode out his orgasm, he pulled out and removed the eyemask from Nino and undid the tie before wrapping around him for a hug.

  
But he was thrown off his bearings when Nino flipped him right over on his back.

  
"Hold it. We're not finished yet now, are we?" Nino said as he reached over for the massage oil and started rubbing the oil up and down his throbbing, leaking hard-on. Nino also reached for his stretched, leaking hole, allowing some cum to mix with the massage oil before spreading them on his anatomy.Sho's eyes widened as he saw Nino prepare himself.

  
"Why is it that YOU get to come first when it is ME with the headache, hmm..?" Nino asked with an mischievous tone to his voice as he reached down between Sho's butt cheeks and started his fingers into his body. "You have no idea how long those dreams of you have been driving me absolutely crazy- being tortured and teased by you, be it in my bed or that really nice bookshop..."

With that, Nino thrusted himself up Sho's ass. Sho exclaimed sharply in pain while Nino exhaled as he felt Sho's warmth surrounding his dick. It was definitely  **definitely**  much better than his own hands.

  
"I sure hope those will be real... soon." Nino finished before moving slowly to hold himself back from coming too soon. He wanted his own orgasm to be almost as mind-blowing as Sho, if not even better. He could feel Sho tightening his body around him, and at that slow speed with immense friction, Nino was sure that his release would be worth all those months of "foreplay" and the past few weeks of Sho's absence.

  
" I..." Sho breathed as he took hold of his gradually stiffening dick, stroking it with practised movements. Nino gave a light smile as he sped up even more, his hamburger hands reaching to help Sho by moving along with his hands.

  
"Ah Sho, I'm really going to co-" Nino choked out his words as a huge wave of pleasure rocketed through his body. He felt his heart burst and his vision whited out as the blinding, mind-numbing sensation of releasing his abundant load into Sho's body overtook his senses.  Nino's words unwound Sho and he came at the same time, gasping Nino's name and spilling his essence over his stomach. The room held the musk scent of sex and was filled with the shallow breathing of the two lovers. Nino pulled out and collapsed on top of Sho, now feeling tired and spent and his head feeling incredibly light.

***CUE: ALL MAY LOOK UP FROM UCHIWAS***   


  
"... Hey... I think you're right about that..." Nino murmured.

  
"What?" Sho asked curiously.

  
"Remember how you said that an orgasm cures headaches due to endorphins and whatnot?" Nino said. Sho responded with a gentle laugh and cuddled close to him.

  
"Tadaima," Sho said, earning a light smack on the head from Nino.

  
"A bit late, don't you think?" Nino bit back playfully before kissing his lover. "Okaeri."

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Huh?! You can't come today as well?!" Aiba asked incredulously.

  
"Yeah, apparently I've caught a cold as well," Nino lied, "so unless you guys want my germs, I shouldn't be in the studio."

"Both your germs and Sho's? No thank you," Aiba teased, knowing that Sho had arrived and went looking for Nino, staying much much _ **much**_  longer than necessary.

"Shut up," Nino said, "do the others know?"

"Yeah, I told them that his schedule is *cough cough* a day early, so he'll have to be back with us tomorrow, ne?" Aiba replied, a playful grin on his face.

Nino smiled gratefully into the phone. "Thanks Aibaka. See you tomorrow."

"Mou, Nino! Make sure he can at least walk tomorrow!" Aiba teased, only to get the call cut off by the brat.

"Good morning~" Sho sat up and greeted, reaching over to hug his lover around his neck.

  
"Good morning..." Nino returned, pecking him lightly on the lips.

  
"So, I apparently have a day off today. What shall we do?" Sho asked.

  
"Oh I know a few things we definitely can do..." Nino spoke seductively as he tugged Sho back under the covers. Suddenly, his empty stomach growled.

  
"Ah.. I have not eaten dinner since last night..." Nino looked back at Sho. "I blame you for that."

  
"Well," Sho said, getting off the bed and pulling Nino with him, "we will wash up, and then we'll prepare breakfast."

  
"No, I will prepare breakfast. Goodness knows when you might burn down the kitchen..." Nino replied brattily as he followed Sho into the bathroom.

  
They came stumbling out of the bathroom only an hour later.

  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
"Honestly, fancy doing that in the bathroom while I was still hungry," Nino prattled while he focused his eyes on the screen.

  
"Your fault that you looked incredibly delicious for breakfast," Sho defended before looking at the TV screen with NIno. "And you were," he added. Nino paused to whack him embarrassedly on the head before returning to his Mario game with a carmine-red face.

  
The Mario on-screen hopped its way up the familiar stairs, reaching the top. Nino took a deep breath as he let Mario sprint off the top, jumping onto the top of the flagpole. The victory jingle sounded.

  
"Yes!" Nino cheered.

  
"Good job~" Sho said, kissing the back of his neck, where that particular hickey from the night before and two new ones were.

  
"Oi. I'm hungry. Can we eat now? Like, actual food?" Nino said, looking pointedly at Sho. Sho ruffled Nino's hair fondly.

  
"Hamburgers? But you are NOT about to finish mine!" Sho protested.

  
"Hey, you did me like twice within 24 hours and you are not giving me two meals' worth of food? Gee Sho, I never thought you'd be such a powerhouse..." Nino teased.

  
"What?! Hey, you did me twice too okay! I mean, look!" Sho pointed to his own neck which was dotted with more red marks than Nino, "what exactly does this mean, huh?"

  
Nino scowled. "Fine. I guess we'll be ordering two giant meals then. Let's go."  He stood up to get ready, only to be dragged back to the couch to lie down on Sho.

  
"OI. Again?!" Nino asked, completely bewildered. Sho guffawed in laughter before hugging a very grumpy Nino.

"Nope. This time I just want to cuddle for a little longer," he replied, wrapping his arms around the younger man and relished the warmth that came over them like a soft blanket. Nino moved his body so that he squarely overlapped Sho's, their bare feet nestling against each other.

  
"Hmm... This is familiar..." Nino mumbled.

  
Sho looked at him with inquisitive brown eyes.

"How so? Have we cuddled like this before?" he asked.

_"Sounds great," Nino agreed. He was about to get up and prepare to go out when Sho tugged him back down on the sofa, pulling his upper body close to his own._  
"Before that..." Sho whispered as he hugged Nino from behind and moved him so that Nino was straddling him from above. Nino smirked.  
"Now? Before dinner?" Nino questioned, amused. Sho chuckled and pulled him down for a gentle kiss and then hugged him.  
"No," he replied softly, "just felt like cuddling."  
Nino smiled and buried his face into the crook of Sho's neck as they stayed there on the sofa for a while, their bare feet resting comfortably against each other.  


  
"Well..." Nino gave a thoughtful look before nuzzling into Sho's neck, "I've dreamed this before."

  
Sho beamed and brought their lips together tenderly. "Ah right, I didn't give you a proper, vocal answer yet now, did I?"

  
"Oh I think you did. I mean, last night..." Nino teased. Sho poked him playfully in the ribs.

  
"Not that, you perv."

  
"Look who's talking."

  
Sho's smiling face grew serious as he held Nino close.

"I loved you, I love you and I will always love you," he said, quickly averting his eyes as he felt himself blush a dark shade of crimson under Nino's gaze.

  
Nino bumped his forehead gently on his.

"I love you too, sappy. Now will you stop starving me and take me to have some hamburgers?"

  
The pair got up and left Nino's apartment, fingers interlocked and separated no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sniffle sniffle* IT'S THE END OF THIS SERIES. (': I honestly hope that they won't do anything in the bookstore though. It'd be quite a spectacle to behold. O_O
> 
> A great big THANK YOU to all my AO3 readers who left me kudos and comments even though I'm more active on LJ. I'm really really happy to hear that quite a number of you enjoyed this series just as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> I'll prolly be writing more one-shots until I have inspiration for another chaptered fic. 
> 
> See you guys around~ *wave wave*


End file.
